The Center for Academic Advising and Retention (CAAR) is thrilled to welcome the following new team members and would like to introduce them to the campus community.
Mica Chen
Hailing originally from Shanghai, China, Mica Chen has four years of experience working in higher education. (She also played professional volleyball in China!) Her passion for supporting college students first blossomed at the University of Alaska- Fairbanks, where she obtained her bachelor’s degree in multicultural education while playing for the women’s volleyball team at UAF. There, she also worked as a teaching assistant instructing public speaking courses for an academic year.
Mica’s academic journey then took her to the State of Washington, where she completed her master’s degree in sport and athletic administration at Gonzaga University. At GU, she served as an academic coach and also a graduate assistant teaching physical education courses for two academic years. During this period, Mica also completed internships working with student-athletes at Arizona State University as an academic mentor and at EWU as a compliance assistant and an assistant learning specialist.
Luke Chapman
Prior to joining CAAR, Luke Chapman spent four years with the U.S Navy followed by three years in college athletics. His stops include Yale, Texas A&M Corpus-Christi, Western Michigan, and EWU. Most of that time was spent in football recruiting roles where he worked with student-athletes and prospective students.
Luke attended the University of Iowa for his undergraduate degree and received his master’s n education from Southwestern Oklahoma State. His path to us has resulted in extensive experience working with students and diverse populations.
Sianna Tomblin
Before beginning her journey at CAAR, Sianna spent the last 8 years in the service and hospitality industry. She honed her interpersonal skills through restaurant work, event catering and providing guest services at numerous hotels. In addition, Sianna studied criminal justice at EWU, where she found her true passion. While attending EWU, she spent 3 years working in the PLUS Program.
Sianna held the positions of tutor, group facilitator, and academic coach. Her comprehensive experience and dedication to our students makes her a great addition to our team. We are excited to see what new ideas in student support she brings to our office!
In addition to hiring three new advisors, CAAR has also chosen a new director, Neron Thomas, PhD. Thomas comes from Guyana and is slated to arrive in this spring. Thomas has a unique and broad range of national and international experience.
**The CAAR team, which is in the process of hiring additional staff to work with students, invites you to stop by the office, in Monroe 305, to say hello.
